1. Field
The present invention relates generally to a vehicle with a material hopper. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern a vehicle-mounted hopper for holding pavement material and a swing auger for dispensing pavement material from the hopper.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Asphalt-paved highways often develop pavement failures, such as cracks, potholes, or buckled sections, due to extended use and extreme ambient conditions. Consequently, asphalt highways require periodic maintenance by road crews to repair the failures and maintain a smooth road surface. An asphalt patching truck is used by a road crew to carry asphalt mix to the location of a pavement failure and selectively dispense the asphalt mix to repair the failure. Some prior art patching trucks include a material hopper supported on the truck and an auger for dispensing the material away from the truck.
Prior art asphalt patching trucks are problematic and suffer from various undesirable limitations. For instance, prior art patching trucks that include a hopper and auger are deficient because the auger is bulky and projects unsafely from the hopper, even when the auger is stored for transportation.